Film bag for packaging of pourable products

ABSTRACT

A film bag for packaging pourable products, has front and rear walls, a side fold in between the front and rear walls, and a reclosure. The side fold is laid in between elements of the reclosure, extends into a bag region above the reclosure, and is closed above the reclosure. A weakening line is provided, which proceeds from a longitudinal bag edge and delimits a head-side bag section that can be removed in order to open the bag. The reclosure consists of two closure strips that engage into one another on the inside of the bag, and have, a closure element along an upper longitudinal edge, and a connection tag. The weakening line has a section that is disposed at the level of the connection tags, so that the closure elements of the closure strips can be engaged into one another after the head-side bag section has been removed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of European Application No. EP 11 152 717.2 filed Jan. 31, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a film bag, laid flat, having a front wall, a rear wall, at least one side fold laid in between the front wall and the rear wall, and a reclosure consisting of two reclosure strips that can be engaged into one another, which have a closure element and a connection tag, in each instance, attached on the inside of the bag. The side fold is laid in between the connection tags disposed on the front wall and the rear wall, and can be pulled out as a pour spout after the bag has been opened. The film bag serves for packaging pourable products.

2. The Prior Art

A film bag, laid flat, for packaging purposes, is described in European Patent No. EP 2 186 743 A1. The reclosure consists of a slide closure and is disposed at a top bag edge. Strip-shaped closure elements of the slide closure, as well as a slider set onto the closure elements in the manner of a rider, project from the top of the bag. The connection tags are attached to the front wall and the rear wall by a sealing seam, and are connected with one another by a peelable connection. The peelable connection between the connection tags brings about an originality closure, which is broken open the first time the bag is opened. The side fold that can be used as a pour spout reaches up to the connection tags of the reclosure.

In the case of a side-fold bag known from European Patent Application No. EP 2 135 817 A1, the side fold that can be used as a pour spout ends below the connection tags of a reclosure that are attached on the front wall and the rear wall. The reclosure is also configured as a slide closure, and has strip-shaped closure elements that project at the top edge of the bag and carry a slider set on in the manner of a rider. The side fold that ends below the reclosure and can be used as a pour spout is not fixed in place on the head side. Releasable adhesive strips are provided, which tack the two halves of the side fold to the front wall of the bag and the rear wall of the bag, respectively, and, at the same time, close the side fold at the top, in the folded state. Both the fixation of the side fold and its sealing at the top require improvement.

Furthermore, a film bag, laid flat, is described in International Application Publication No. WO 2008/145164 A1. The known film bag has a reclosure that is disposed within the film bag, at a distance from an upper bag edge, and consists of a one-piece closure strip, or one composed of multiple sections, which strip is attached to the front wall, the rear wall, and also to the flanks of the laid-in side fold, and allows a releasable connection between the flanks of the laid-in side fold and the adjacent surfaces of the front wall or rear wall. The laid-in side fold extends into a bag region above the reclosure, and is closed above the reclosure. In a bag surface formed by the side fold, the front wall, and the rear wall, a weakening line is provided, which proceeds from a longitudinal bag edge at the front wall and the rear wall, and delimits a head-side bag section that includes the closed end of the side fold, and can be removed along the weakening line to open the film bag. The weakening line is disposed above the reclosure and extends, proceeding from the longitudinal bag edge, all the way to a two-ply region of the film bag formed by the front wall and the rear wall, and all the way to the upper edge of the bag within the two-ply region. After the film bag has been opened, the side fold can be pulled out as a pour spout. It has a pouring edge formed by tearing off the head-side bag section, and can be closed again by the closure strips disposed on the flanks of the side fold. Application of a closure strip not only on the inside surfaces of the front and rear wall but also on corresponding surfaces of the laid-in side fold requires a long strip length of the expensive reclosure material, is complicated in terms of production technology, and furthermore also leads to functional disadvantages of the film bag. When using a continuous closure strip that extends from the front wall, by way of the flanks of the side fold, all the way to the rear wall, there is the problem that closure elements configured as strips, for example, cannot be folded or are difficult to fold, and furthermore tend to spread open again after having been folded. If a closure strip formed from multiple sections is used, complicated application systems are required in order to apply four sections of a closure strip for every reclosure, with the required precision, to predetermined sections of a film. In a functional regard, it is disadvantageous that the closure elements of the closure strips affixed to the flanks of the side fold significantly contribute to thickening of the film bag, laid flat, in the region of the reclosure, and this makes stacking of the flat pre-finished film bags more difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Against this background, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a film bag for a packaging, which packaging encloses the packaged goods in an airtight manner, and has a reclosable pour spout after having been opened for the first time. The pour spout used as a side fold is securely fixed in place until the packaging is opened for the first time. Furthermore, no elements of a reclosure are attached to the pour spout.

This object is accomplished by a film bag for packaging of pourable products, having a front wall, a rear wall, at least one side fold laid in between the front wall and the rear wall, and a reclosure that is disposed within the film bag, at a distance from an upper bag edge. According to the invention, the reclosure is disposed within the bag, at a distance from an upper bag edge. The side fold laid in between a section of the reclosure disposed on the front wall, and a section of the reclosure disposed on the rear wall, extends all the way into a bag region above the reclosure and is closed above the reclosure. In a bag surface formed by the side fold, the front wall, and the rear wall, a weakening line is provided, which proceeds from a longitudinal bag edge at the front wall and the rear wall and delimits a head-side bag section that comprises the closed end of the side fold and can be removed along the weakening line in order to open the bag. The reclosure consists of two separate closure strips that can engage into one another, which strips are disposed on the inside of the bag, on the front wall and the rear wall, and have a closure element along an upper longitudinal edge and a connection tag attached on the inside of the bag, below the closure element. The reclosure is preferably a so-called zipper closure, the closure elements of which can be engaged into one another by hand. The weakening line of the side fold laid in between the front wall and the rear wall has at least one section that is disposed at the level of the connection tags connected with the front wall and the rear wall, so that the closure elements of the closure strips can be engaged into one another after the head-side bag section above the laid-in side fold has been removed. In particular, the weakening line can be disposed below the closure elements, in the region of the connection tags disposed on the bag wall, over its entire length. Attachment of the connection tags is provided within the weakening line.

After filling, the film bag is closed at the top by at least one transverse sealing seam, so that an essentially airtight packaging is formed. The reclosure is situated within the packaging and does not require any measure for configuring the reclosure to be airtight until the first time the packaging is used. The side fold, which can be used as a pour spout, extends all the way into the bag region above the reclosure and can be fixed in place on the front wall or rear wall. The reclosure can be exposed by removing a head-side bag section along the weakening line. After the head-side bag section has been removed, the closure elements of the reclosure project at the edge of the bag and are easily accessible. When the reclosure is closed, the side fold, which can be pulled out as a pour spout, is fixed in place between the front wall and the rear wall. After the reclosure has been opened, the side fold can be pulled out and used as a pour spout to dispense product.

It is practical if the weakening line in the flanks of the laid-in side fold and the sections of the front wall and the rear wall that lie against the side fold have a congruent contour. In this connection, the weakening line can particularly form a straight line. The weakening line can form an arc in the flanks of the laid-in side fold and the sections of the front wall and the rear wall that lie against the side fold, which arc begins at a level above the connection tag of the closure strips and makes a transition into a straight section at the level of the connection tags. The arc-shaped contour of the weakening line forms a pour spout that is characterized by improved pouring behavior, because the contour of the pour spout edge, which rises toward the longitudinal bag edge, guides the bag contents to the projecting end of the pour spout during a pouring process, and prevents the bag contents from overflowing out of the pour spout at the sides.

It is practical if the weakening line in the front wall and the rear wall has a congruent contour, and it can extend all the way to the upper bag edge or a second longitudinal bag edge.

The side fold, which can be used as a pour spout after the bag has been opened for the first time, ends below the upper bag edge and is preferably closed by a film strip attached on the front wall or rear wall. The film strip, which can also have the shape of a film sheet, is attached to the bag wall and encloses the upper end of the side fold between itself and the bag wall. Attachment of the film strip can take place by means of gluing or sealing.

It is practical if the longitudinal bag edges are reinforced by sealing seams that connect the front wall or rear wall with the laid-in side fold. For tear initiation, a notch is disposed in the longitudinal bag edge reinforced with a sealing seam, and this notch is followed by the weakening line.

Preferably, the film bag as a whole consists of a multi-ply film that has a sealable polyolefin layer on the inside of the bag and an imprintable outer layer of a more rigid polymer. The weakening line then consists of a cut produced by laser cutting, which penetrates into the outer layer and leaves the sealable polyolefin layer unharmed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reclosure is shorter than the width of the front wall and the rear wall. It is practical if the closure strips disposed on the front wall and the rear wall border on the longitudinal bag edges reinforced by sealing seams, at a longitudinal side of the film bag, and extend all the way into a two-ply region of the film bag formed by the front wall and the rear wall. Preferably, in this connection, the closure strips are oriented essentially at a right angle to the longitudinal bag edge. The closure strips disposed on the front wall and the rear wall can have a slanted progression, whereby one end of the closure strip, which end is disposed in the region of the laid-in side fold, at or close to the longitudinal bag edge, has a greater distance from the upper bag edge than the other end of the closure strip, which end is disposed within the two-ply region of the film bag formed from the front wall and the rear wall.

The closure strips disposed on the front wall and the rear wall can have a rail-shaped closure element. Other types of closure elements could also be used. For example, the closure element of the closure strips can consist of an adhesive surface composed of a pressure-sensitive adhesive, or of a textile surface that forms a hook and loop closure. In particular, the closure element of the closure strips disposed on the front wall and rear wall can have a surface having a plurality of projecting hook elements.

Usually, the film bag has two side folds, which are laid in on the two longitudinal sides of the film bag, between the front wall and the rear wall. The reclosure extends, proceeding from a longitudinal bag edge, all the way into a two-ply region of the bag formed by the front wall and the rear wall. The weakening line within the two-ply region runs all the way to the upper edge of the bag. The second side fold, which does not have a reclosure assigned to it, is closed off by a film strip, for example, at its upper end.

The invention also comprises a packaging. The packaging consists of the film bag described, which contains a pourable product and is closed off, above the side folds, by means of at least one transverse sealing seam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 shows a film bag, laid flat, in a side view,

FIG. 2 shows the film bag shown in FIG. 1, after a head-side bag section has been removed,

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the film bag, which has been opened slightly for purposes of the illustration,

FIG. 4 shows a filled film bag that has been used as packaging, in use,

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of a film bag, laid flat, according to the invention, in a side view,

FIG. 6 shows the film bag shown in FIG. 5, after a head-side bag section has been removed,

FIGS. 7 and 8 show further exemplary embodiments of the film bag according to the invention,

FIG. 9 shows, as a detail, a section through the object of FIG. 8, in the region of the laid-in side fold, and

FIG. 10 shows the film bag shown in FIG. 8, after a head-side bag section has been removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the film bag shown in FIG. 1 consists, in terms of its basic structure, of a front wall 1, a congruent rear wall 2, at least one side fold 3 laid in between the front wall and the rear wall, and a reclosure 4 consisting of two reclosure strips that can be engaged into one another. For purposes of the illustration, the front wall is cut out along a breaking line, whereby the interior of the bag, with a view of the inside of the rear wall 2 and of the side fold 3 are exposed by the cutout. The closure strip has a rail-shaped closure element 5 and a connection tag 6 attached to the inside of the bag, in each instance. The side fold 3 is laid in between the connection tags 6 disposed on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2, and after the bag has been opened, it can be pulled out as a pour spout 7. The reclosure 4 is disposed within the bag, at a distance from the upper bag edge 8. The side fold 3 laid in between the closure strips of the reclosure 4 extends all the way into the region above the reclosure 4, and is closed above the closure elements 5. In the bag surface formed by the side fold, the front wall, and the rear wall, a weakening line 10 is provided, which is disposed on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2, proceeding from a longitudinal bag edge 9, 9′, below the rail-shaped closure elements 5, in the region of the connection tag 6 attached on the bag wall. The weakening line 10 delimits a head-side bag section 11 that comprises the closed end of the side fold 3 and can be removed in order to open the bag along the weakening line 10. The reclosure 4 is exposed when the head-side bag section 11 is removed, whereby the rail-shaped closure elements 5 project at the contour of the bag and can easily be grasped by hand. When the reclosure 4 is closed, the side fold 3 is fixed in place between the front wall 1 and rear wall 2. After the reclosure is opened, the side fold 3 can be pulled out to form a pour spout 7. This functional position is shown in FIG. 2 by means of a dot-dash line.

The reclosure 4 is shorter than the width B of the bag, i.e. the width of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2. The weakening line 10 extends all the way to the upper bag edge 8 and preferably consists of a cut produced by laser cutting, which does not completely penetrate the bag wall. The film bag preferably consists of a multi-ply film that has a sealable polyolefin layer on the inside of the bag and an imprintable outer layer composed of a more rigid polymer. The more rigid polymer can be cut with a laser, in contrast to the polyolefin sealing layer, which preferably consists of a polyethylene. The longitudinal bag edges 9, 9′ are reinforced by sealing seams 12, which connect the front wall 1 or rear wall 2 with the laid-in side fold 3, and contain a notch 13 for tear initiation, which notch is followed by the weakening line 10.

One can see from the representation in FIG. 1 that the side fold 3, which can be used as a pour spout 7, ends below the upper bag edge 8 and is closed by a film strip 14 attached on the front wall 1 or rear wall 2. As a result, the side fold 3 is also fixed in place within the bag.

The film bag shown in the figures has a second side fold 3′, which is laid in between the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 on the opposite longitudinal side. It also ends below the upper bag edge 8 and is closed by a film strip 14 that is attached to the front wall or rear wall.

The film bag can be used as packaging for pourable products. After the film bag has been filled, the film bag is closed by at least one transverse sealing seam 15, above the side fold. The position of the transverse sealing seam 15 has been shown with a dot-dash line in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a packaging 16 that consists of the film bag. The film bag contains a pourable product and is closed by a transverse sealing seam 15 above the side folds 3, 3′. FIG. 4 shows the use of the packaging, whereby the head-side bag section 11 of the film bag has already been removed. As a result, the side fold 3 was exposed below the reclosure 4. The side fold 3 can be pulled out as a pour spout 7 to dispense product, as is shown in FIG. 4. After a partial amount of the bag content has been poured out, the pour spout 7 can be folded inward and the reclosure 4 can be closed again. After the reclosure 4 has been closed, the side fold 3 is fixed in place between the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 of the film bag.

In FIGS. 5 to 10, additional exemplary embodiments of the film bag according to the invention are shown. In the case of all the film bags covered by the invention, the reclosure consists of two separate closure strips that can be engaged into one another, which are disposed on the inside of the bag, on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2, and have a closure element 5, 5′ along an upper edge and a connection tag 6 attached to the inside of the bag below the closure element 5, 5′. The weakening line 10 of the side fold 3 laid in between the front wall and the rear wall has at least one section 17 that is disposed at the level of the connection tags 6 connected with the front wall and the rear wall, so that the closure elements 5, 5′ of the closure strips can be engaged into one another after the head-side bag section 11 above the laid-in side fold 3 has been removed. The connection tags 6 are connected with the front wall 1 or rear wall 2, respectively, by a sealing seam 18 disposed at the lower end of each connection tag. It is understood that the weakening line, with its section 17, runs above the sealing seam 18.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the weakening line 10 forms an arc in the flanks of the laid-in side fold 3 and on the sections of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 that lie against the side fold 3, which arc begins on the longitudinal bag edge 9, 9′, at a level above the connection tags 6 of the closure strips of the reclosure 4 and makes a transition into a straight section at the level of the connection tags 6. A comparison of FIGS. 5 and 6 also makes it evident that the weakening line 10 has a congruent contour in the flanks of the laid-in side fold 3 and the sections of the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 that lie against the side fold. The contour of the weakening line 10 as described and shown in the figures forms a pouring edge after the head-side bag section 11 is torn off, which edge is characterized by particularly advantageous pouring behavior. The closure strips of the reclosure 4 disposed on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 are oriented essentially at a right angle to the longitudinal bag edge 9, 9′, and have a surface having a plurality of projecting hook elements as a closure element 5′. The projecting hook elements and the interstices between the hook elements interact in the manner of a hook and loop closure. Alternatively, closure strips having rail-shaped closure elements 5 can also be used.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the closure strips of the reclosure 4 that are disposed on the front wall 1 and the rear wall 2 have a slanted progression, whereby one end of the closure strips, which is disposed in the region of the laid-in side fold 3, on or near the longitudinal bag edge 9, 9′, has a greater distance from the upper bag edge 8 than the other end of the closure strip, which is disposed within a two-ply region of the film bag formed by the front wall and the rear wall. In the embodiment of FIG. 7, the closure strips have a surface having a plurality of projecting hook elements as the closure elements 5′. Alternatively and without any restriction, closure strips with rail-shaped closure elements 5 can also be used.

In another exemplary embodiment, which is shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the closure element 5′ of the closure strips is disposed on a strip section that is folded in V shape. The connection tag 6 is attached to the inside surface of the front wall 1 or rear wall 2 only at its lower edge, by means of a sealing seam 18. Because of the folding of the strip section that carries the closure element 5′, the closure element 5′ is situated below the sealing seam 18 before the film bag is opened for the first time, which seam connects the connection tag 6 with the front wall 1 or rear wall 2, and consequently also below the weakening line 10. This facilitates tearing off the head-side bag section 11. After the head-side bag section 11 has been removed and the side fold that can be used as a pour spout has been opened, the folded strip section opens up, as the result of elastic recovery forces of the closure strip, or can at least be folded back manually, and subsequently assumes the position shown in FIG. 10. After the strip section has been folded back, the closure elements 5′ of the closure strips project at the edge of the bag and can be used for reclosing the pour spout.

Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A film bag, laid flat, for packaging of pourable products, comprising: a front wall; a rear wall; at least one side fold laid in between the front wall and the rear wall; and a reclosure that is disposed within the film bag, at a distance from an upper bag edge, said reclosure consisting of two separate closure strips that can engage into one another, which strips are disposed on the inside of the bag, on the front wall and the rear wall, and have a closure element along an upper longitudinal edge and a connection tag attached on the inside of the bag, below the closure element; wherein the side fold is laid in between a section of the reclosure disposed on the front wall and a section of the reclosure disposed on the rear wall, extends all the way into a bag region above the reclosure, and is closed above the reclosure, wherein a weakening line is provided in a bag surface formed by the side fold, the front wall, and the rear wall, said weakening line proceeding from a longitudinal bag edge at the front wall and the rear wall and delimiting a head-side bag section that comprises the closed end of the side fold, and which can be removed along the weakening line in order to open the bag; wherein the side fold is adapted to be pulled out as a pour spout after the film bag has been opened, which spout has a pouring edge formed by tearing off the head-side bag section, and wherein the weakening line of the side fold laid in between the front wall and the rear wall has at least one section that is disposed at a level of the connection tags, so that the closure elements of the closure strips can be engaged into one another after a head-side bag section above the laid-in side fold has been removed.
 2. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein the weakening line has a congruent contour in flanks of the laid-in side fold and in the sections of the front wall and the rear wall that lie against the side fold.
 3. The film bag according to claim 2, wherein the weakening line forms a straight line in the flanks of the laid-in side fold and in the sections of the front wall and the rear wall that lie against the side fold.
 4. The film bag according to claim 2, wherein the weakening line forms an arc in the flanks of the laid-in side fold, around the sections of the front wall and the rear wall that lie against the side fold, said arc beginning at a longitudinal bag edge, at a level above the connection tags of the closure strips, and makes a transition into a straight section at a level of the connection tags.
 5. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein the weakening line has a congruent contour in the front wall and the rear wall.
 6. The film bag according to claim 5, wherein the weakening line extends all the way to the upper bag edge or a second longitudinal bag edge, in the front wall and in the rear wall.
 7. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal bag edges are reinforced by sealing seams that connect the front wall or rear wall with the laid-in side fold, and wherein the weakening line follows a notch disposed in the longitudinal bag edge, for tear initiation.
 8. The film bag according to claim 7, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall and the rear wall border on the longitudinal bag edges reinforced by means of sealing seams, at a longitudinal side of the film bag, and extend all the way into a two-ply region of the film bag formed by the front wall and the rear wall.
 9. The film bag according to claim 8, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall and the rear wall are oriented essentially at a right angle to the longitudinal bag edge.
 10. The film bag according to claim 8, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall and the rear wall have a slanted progression, wherein one end of the closure strip, which end is disposed in the region of the laid-in side fold, at or close to the longitudinal bag edge, has a greater distance from the upper bag edge than the other end of the closure strip, said other end being disposed within the two-ply region of the film bag formed from the front wall and the rear wall.
 11. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein the closure strips disposed on the front wall and the rear wall have a rail-shaped closure element.
 12. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein the closure element of the closure strips disposed on the front wall and rear wall has a surface having a plurality of projecting hook elements.
 13. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein the closure element of the closure strips is disposed on a strip section that is folded in V shape and is adapted to be folded back, after the head-side bag section has been removed, as the result of elastic recovery forces of the closure strip, or manually.
 14. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein the film bag consists of a multi-ply film that has a sealable polyolefin layer on the inside of the bag and an imprintable outer layer of a polymer that is more rigid than the sealable polyolefin layer, and wherein the weakening line consists of a cut produced by laser cutting, said cut penetrating into the outer layer and leaving the sealable polyolefin layer unharmed.
 15. The film bag according to claim 1, wherein side folds are laid in on the two longitudinal sides of the film bag, between the front wall and the rear wall, wherein the reclosure extends, proceeding from a longitudinal bag edge, all the way into a two-ply region of the bag formed by the front wall and the rear wall, and wherein the weakening line extends within the two-ply region, all the way to the upper bag edge.
 16. A packaging consisting of a film bag, laid flat, for packaging of pourable products, the film bag comprising: a front wall; a rear wall; at least one side fold laid in between the front wall and the rear wall; and a reclosure that is disposed within the film bag, at a distance from an upper bag edge, said reclosure consisting of two separate closure strips that can engage into one another, which strips are disposed on the inside of the bag, on the front wall and the rear wall, and have a closure element along an upper longitudinal edge and a connection tag attached on the inside of the bag, below the closure element; wherein the side fold is laid in between a section of the reclosure disposed on the front wall and a section of the reclosure disposed on the rear wall, extends all the way into a bag region above the reclosure, and is closed above the reclosure, wherein a weakening line is provided in a bag surface formed by the side fold, the front wall, and the rear wall, said weakening line proceeding from a longitudinal bag edge at the front wall and the rear wall and delimiting a head-side bag section that comprises the closed end of the side fold, and which can be removed along the weakening line in order to open the bag; wherein the side fold is adapted to be pulled out as a pour spout after the film bag has been opened, which spout has a pouring edge formed by tearing off the head-side bag section, and wherein the weakening line of the side fold laid in between the front wall and the rear wall has at least one section that is disposed at a level of the connection tags, so that the closure elements of the closure strips can be engaged into one another after a head-side bag section above the laid-in side fold has been removed; wherein the film bag contains a pourable product and is closed by at least one transverse sealing seam above the side folds. 